I am meeting with county officials next week to discuss backyard chickens. Currently poultry are only allowed in agriculturally zoned areas. (Backyard chickens only hasn't passed bc of 1 vote!) I am asking for your research and knowledge on this topic to help our county move forward with allowing backyard chickens.

- Why should residential neighborhoods be allowed backyard chickens?
- What regulations do you believe counties should have to help owners maintain healthy lawns, property value, and a healthy flock?
- What research have you done that you believe makes the case for backyard chickens?
- Any additional comments?

If the plan goes ahead there should be restrictions so that everyone is happy, say maximum of 2 chickens per property and coop must be 6 meters away from neighboring fences, any noise complaints and the chooks must go type of thing. Happy neighbours are most important. Chooks also need to have a certain amount of space to be happy

If the plan goes ahead there should be restrictions so that everyone is happy, say maximum of 2 chickens per property and coop must be 6 meters away from neighboring fences, any noise complaints and the chooks must go type of thing. Happy neighbours are most important. Chooks also need to have a certain amount of space to be happy

If you have children under 18, get them signed up for 4H. The 4H community has a lot of resources and the kind of "expert witness" backing that will hold up in a legal forum. Best yet, they're not lawyers, so they speak like "real people." Not to say that lawyers aren't real people, ya know, but when someone starts talking legalese, HOAs and Town Council members tend to get nervous ... and they have the power to shut things down pretty quickly.
Good Luck!

Oh - and another 4H plus, in some areas, 4H members can get waivers to keep poultry. And if all else fails, get quail or pigeons. They don't usually fall under the same regulations ... and they're a LOT quieter!

Our town legalized hens years ago. A group of homeowners that wished to raise hens did research and scheduled to speak at a city council meeting. The council listened to the arguments presented, voted at a later date, and passed new ordinances permitting hens. I wish that I had the pages of research material still, but unfortunately do not. We addressed the 4H/raising for FFA aspect, myths regarding drawing vermin, myths regarding odor, myths regarding bird flu fears in backyard flocks, and really pitched the "urban/suburban homestead" movement (which appeals across the political spectrum to many for various reasons). We pointed out that noise and noxious odor ordinances were already on the books, and could be utilized in dealing with flock owners that were not conscientious of their neighbors/didn't keep their property sanitary. Many of our neighbors have gardens and backyard flocks, have clean and beautifully manicured/landscaped lawns, and all within a typical suburban neighborhood. Best of luck to you!!

If a residential neighborhood is allowed to have dogs, then chickens should be allowed. It should be a basic human right for every land owner to use his property to raise his own food, within certain restrictions which keep that right from infringing on the rights of his neighbors.

- What regulations do you believe counties should have to help owners maintain healthy lawns, property value, and a healthy flock?

Urban home owners should not be allowed to have more than 6 chickens. Coop and run should provide at least 4 s.f. in coop, and 10 s.f. in run per bird. Roosters should not be allowed. Litter management system should not result in any noticeable odor. Any composting efforts should be done with consideration to adhering to zoning ordinances. (distance from lot lines, wells, perhaps composting should be contained in a bin, tumbler, or otherwise sheltered from neighbor's view.) Coop and run should be placed a certain distance from neighbor's property lines and homes. No roosters. Poultry should not be allowed to free range unless directly supervised. Any incursions onto neighboring properties should result in poultry being confined to coop/run.

- What research have you done that you believe makes the case for backyard chickens?
- Any additional comments?

In a neighborhood where there is less than 1/4 acre per lot, I do not believe that keeping chickens would be appropriate.

My town has a 5 hen limit and no roosters. IMO, 5 is a good number, even though I have only 3 at the moment. 2 is not a good choice, if you lose one, then you have the issue of having to introduce a new hen. Hens are no more noisy than a dog barking, and there are already laws in place for nuisance animals barking, should be no different for chickens, IMO. I, for one would much rather listen to 100 chickens than the darn leaf blowers going on around my neighborhood all the time. Neighborhoods are noisy, leaf blowers, loud car stereos, motorcycles,kids playing, all the sounds of life going on. People need to learn to deal with it. We all have fences around our backyards, no one has to look at any "messy" coop or run. None of my neighbors have complained about my birds or the ones down the street. I would point out to them that many towns and even cities are allowing chickens successfully, that chickens are pets as well as livestock, and noise and flies and landscaping can all be managed with out the neighborhood falling apart.